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R. S. BARNUM.

GAR GOUPLING. No. 503,939. Patented Aug. 29, 1893.

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@ik 1 n means for actuating the same.

UNITED TATES PATENT Fries.

RUSSELL S. BARNUM, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ALEXANDER C. MARTIN, OF SAME PLACE.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 503,939, dated Augustf29, 1893.

Application tiled June 5, 1893. Serial No. L76,551. (No model.) y n 4 l v .To ZZ whom it may concern,.- .l

vcar coupler which may be so constructed that it may be coupled automatically by impact, and which may be uncoupled and set for automatic couplingfrom the side of the car.

To these ends my invention consists in the combination of elements hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

Figure l of the drawings is a side view of my improved car coupler, and a portion of the, side of a car to which the same is applied. Fig. 2 is a bottom of said coupler showing Fig. 3 is a side view in detail of the'coupling hook as it appears when in its normal position, and Fig. 4 is a like view of the same in the position assumed thereby when coupled. v

Referring to the drawings a Fig. l represents the body of a car to which is attached in any well known manner, a draw bar b having a head c cast or otherwise formed thereon. Within a recess formed in said head is pivoted upon -ahorizontal axis Z a hook e integral with which hook is a loop f, which, when the hook is thrown back, is in a horizontal positionv so as to receive the hook from the opposite draw head when thelatter is thrown down as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l. The hook e is rigidly attached to the pivot shaft d upon which shaft outside of the draw head c is also rigidly attached ar sheave g to which is secured one end of a chain h which chain is trained over the top of said sheave in the manner shown. The other end of 'said chain is attached to acrank arm t', rigidly secured to a rock shaft j maintained in suitable bearings beneath the car. A crank j enables said rock-shaft to be tilted. When the hook is down as indicated in dot- 5o ted lines in Fig. l the tilting of said rock shaft j enables the hook to be uncoupled and thrown back to its normal position. The chain h is protected and retained in position upon the sheave by means of a shield k'Figs. l and 2, which is rigidly attached to the head c.

For the purpose of automatically throwing the hook forward and causing it to engage with the loop in the opposite draw head, I providethe following described tripping mechanism which is adapted to be set at will by the operator.

Loosely secured to the shaft d is an arm Z which is, bent inwardly as shown so that when it hangs in its normal position as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l, the lower end is eX- tended beneath the draw head. Upon the inner face of said arm near its axis, is a stud m beveled upon the end as shown, which is adaptedl to engage with a similar stud n when the arm Z is thrown forward as shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3 which serves to hold said arm in an oblique positionso that its outer end is projected in front of the draw head. The arm Z is not only loose on the shaft so as to permit said shaft to be freely rotated without actuating said arm,but it is sufficiently loose to permit the lower end to be moved laterally far enough to enable the stud m to pass the stud n when the arm Z is thrust forward.

When thrust forward, however, a slight in-k tached to a stud q upon the arm Z while thev other is in like manner attached to a corresponding stud upon an arm r attached to a.

rock-shaft s secured in bearings beneath the car and having a crankZ by which it is adapted to be operated.

The operation of my improved automatic coupler is as follows: Assuming the hooks to be in their respective normal positions as in dicated in Fig. l in which they may be placed by the operator standing at the side of the IOO car and tilting the rock-shafts j, the armZ upon one of the couplers is set in an operative position by likewise tilting the rock-shaft s and throwing said arm forward far enough to enable the stud m to pass the stud n when the crank is released which causes 4the studs to engage and thus hold the arm Z in a forwardly inclined position as shown. As the cars are brought together' the opposite draw head indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, in which the tripping armZ is not set, strikes against the extended arm Z and the studs m, n being in engagement as indicated in Fig. 3, the hook e is thrownforward into engagement with the opposite loop f. The relative positions of said hook and arm after said engagement are indicated in Fig. 4. As the arm Z hangs loosely upon its shaft, except when set as described, it cannot interfere with theact-ion of the hook andloop when in use; and upon actuating the rock-shaft to uncouple the hook, the latter is thrown back to its normal "posit-ion without in any wise affecting the gravity arm.

My improved automatic coupler is simple, cheap and durable, easily and safely set and uncoupled, and the absenceof springs renders it especially desirable. The arm Z is self adjusting inasmuch as the gravity of the inwardly bentportion throws the stud m out suiliciently to enable it to pass the stud n in its forward movement and as soon as the crank t is released the reverse action causes said studs to engage. It is obvious that the tripping `arm Z may be pushed forward and set by the operator without the use of the rock-shaft s and its connecting parts.

Having thus described my invention, I claime- Y 1.. The combination in a car coupler of an elbowshaped coupling device pivoted upon a horizontal axis, said coupling device being providedwith a hook upon one end and a loop upon the other, a tripping armloosely secured to said axisand arranged to swing forward in front of said draw head, said arm being provided 'with a shoulder or stud thereon, and a detentor stud eccentric to, and in operative connection with said axis and adapted to engage with the stud upon said tripping lever and hold the same in any oblique position when the latteris `thrust forward, substantially as described.

2. The combination in a car coupler of the hook e, pivoted as described, stud m in opersaid pivotal shaft, substantially as described. 6 a

3. The combination with the opposite draw heads of a car coupler, of a coupling device, pivotall'y mounted upon a horizontal shaft in each of said draw heads, said coupling device consisting of two arms arranged obliquely to each other, one being provided with a hook and the other with a corresponding loop, a stud m in operative connection with each of said shafts and a tripping arm Z loosely mounted uponeachof said shafts and pro- 7o vided with a projection adapted to engage the stud m and hold said arm in an oblique forwardly projecting position, substantially as described.

4. The combinationin anar coupler of the `hook c, atripping arm looselyr mounted upon said pivotal shaft, studs, or shoulders m, n for enablingsaid tripping arm to be set in an operative position, a rock-shaft and means `for operatively connectingv the same with said 8o tripping arm, substantially as described.

5. The combinationof the hook e rigidly `attached to the shaft d sheave g rigidly attached tosaid shaft and provided with the stud n, tripping arm Z `having the stud m and 8 5 chain h in operative `connection with a rock shaft secured to the body of the car, substantiallyA as describedp 6. The combination with the hook 'e rigidly attached to the shaft CZ, sheave g rigidly at- 9o tached to said shaft and provided with a stud `or projection fn, a tripping arm Z having a projection thereon `adapted to engage the stud n means for operatively connecting said tripping arm with a crank attached to a 'rock 95 shaft upon `the body of thecar and chain h in operative connection 'with a separate rock shaft upon said car, substantially as described.

In testilnony whereof I have signed this los specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 81st day of May, 1893-.

RUSSELL S. BARNUM. Witnesses:

D. I-l. FLETCHER, E. C. FLETCHER. 

